Law and Chaos

It's a regular Star Wars bar on today's show, with updates in Donald Trump's election interference case and Alex Jones's bankruptcy. But the real star is New York Mayor Eric Adams, who wants to dismiss his indictment because the Supreme Court says it's not a bribe if you don't get paid until after you do the official act. It's a gratuity, which is as American as apple pie! Links: US v. Adams [Dock...

The Mayor of New York was federally indicted for taking bribes from the Turkish government. He was not indicted for taking notes on a criminal f***ing conspiracy in flagrant violation of the Stringer Bell Rule. But perhaps the feds are saving that for a superseding indictment. And for subscribers: an update on the DC election interference case.   Links: US v. Adams [SDNY Docket via Court Listener]...

It's a roundup day! Time to run down the latest efforts to mess with the vote, from Georgia to Nebraska and all places in between. Then Cards Against Humanity sues SpaceX, and the complaint is a thing of beauty. Finally, let's talk about Republicans' grudging plan to NOT sink the economy before November. Please clap!   Links: Fuzzy Math: Wrong Way Reforms for Allocating Electoral Votes https://fai...

Republican Mark Robinson hopes to be North Carolina's next governor. Trump hopes he will go away and stop dragging down the ticket. Meanwhile, the documents case hits the Eleventh Circuit, and outside amici are asking the appeals court to disqualify Judge Aileen Cannon. And in Arizona, a federal judge told Mark Meadows to GTFO with his claim that he was doing official White House business when he...

Utah tried to implement an age verification requirement for social media. The governor even got into a fight with our guest, free speech lawyer Ari Cohn, on Twitter, when he pointed out that the law was patently unconstitutional. But now a federal judge has enjoined it, because there is no One Weird Trick to get around the First Amendment. Did Gov. Cox ever apologize?   Links: Nechoice v. Reyes [D...

After Kamala Harris dogwalked Trump in Tuesday's debate, he's been melting down on every platform and demanding retribution against ABC. How many ways is that threat BS? All the ways! Meanwhile, it's not just Taylor Swift who hates Donald Trump. It's basically every artist on earth. And they're making their feelings known in court. Finally, subscribers get a look at recent court decisions keeping...

Russia's been renting out rightwing media influencers in a plot to undermine support for Ukraine, get Trump elected, and undermine American social unity? Say it ain't so! We'll break down the Justice Department's indictment of two Russian agents for setting up a covert operation. And for subscribers, there's bonus content on the FBI rolling up another Kremlin operation to plant fake news stories u...

Elon Musk claims to be defending free speech by picking a fight with the Brazilian government. But is this about his high minded principles, or his rightwing buddies? We'll talk to international arbitration lawyer JJ Gass about Musk's threats to Brazil and its politicians. (Full interview for subscribers.) Links: FSIA 28 U.S.C. § 1605 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1605 28 U.S.C. § 161...

It's deep dive day into the NCAA. How long can it get away with not paying players? And why can't you buy a Marvin Harrison jersey? Plus, we'll catch up on the Trump case in DC, along with a subscriber bonus on Trump's pre-sentencing shenanigans in New York.   Links: People of the State of NY v. Trump [Docket via Court Listener] https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/67326478/people-of-the-state-of-...

Special Counsel Jack Smith filed a superseding indictment in the election interference case. Time for Trump's SCOTUS pals to ride to the rescue again! And in Georgia, local election officials are preparing to gum up the works if voters don't give them what they want. Links: Trump DC superseding indictment https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149.226.0...

The stolen documents case is back! Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the charges against Trump and his goons in July on the theory that special counsels are illegal, and Monday Special Counsel Jack Smith filed his brief to the Eleventh Circuit explaining why she is very obviously wrong. Plus, RFK Jr. dropped out and endorsed Trump. Does that mean he's off the ballot everywhere? Links: Jack Smith 11th...

Abortion is on the ballot in Missouri, Florida, and Arizona, and Republicans are working hard to stop women from controlling the ballot box, and their own bodies. Meanwhile at the Supreme Court, the conservative justices are trying to shave points for Trump in Arizona. And subscribers will hear about shenanigans at the Arkansas Supreme Court to disappear an abortion referendum. Links: MO Constitut...

Former congressman George Santos — an heir to the Romanoff dynasty who discovered molybdenum — pleads guilty in New York. Disney tries to escape a wrongful death suit at its Florida Park because of an arbitration clause in its Disney+ fine print. And Trump claims an endorsement from AI Taylor Swift. What could possibly go wrong? Links: Piccolo Complaint https://www.scribd.com/document/708687171/Ra...

A New York judge just kicked Robert Kennedy Jr. off the ballot for lying about his residency — a lie he told everywhere else, as well. Could this be the end of his spoiler candidacy? And for subscribers, an exploration of Gov. Ron DeSantis's weird war on woke meat.    Links: 28 U.S.C. § 455 https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/455   Where RFK Jr. and Independent Candidates Are On The Ballot...

Twitter filed an antitrust suit against a tiny non-profit trade group and a bunch of big companies for "illegally" boycotting his Nazi bar. To protect free speech! And for subscribers: Did Kamala copy Trump's plan to cut taxes on tipped compensation?  Links: RELEASE: Sen. Ted Cruz's No Tax on Tips Act Does Little for Low- and Moderate-Wage Workers But Opens Door to Tax Abuse by Wealthy https://www...

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accomplished more in one legislative term than most politicians do in a lifetime. Can he do the same for the country? We take a deep dive into some of the laws he championed in Minnesota. Is this … optimism???   Links: Louisiana Will Get The Ten Commandments Into Schools If They Have To Break 'Em All To Do It https://www.lawandchaospod.com/p/louisiana-will-get-the-ten-c...

The Trump election interference case is finally back from getting beat to hell by the Supreme Court. What's left after the disastrous immunity decision? And will the Supreme Court accept Mark Meadows' invitation to do even more damage to the Republic in a naked bid to protect Trump's cronies?   Links: Trump v. US Immunity Decisions https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-939_e2pg.pdf   US v...

The Utah Supreme Court will not be LARPing as amateur historians, no matter what nonsense Justices Thomas and Alito get up to. The state's highest court upholds an injunction blocking an abortion ban. And we'll check in on Rudy Giuliani's ignominious exit from bankruptcy, along with Project 2025's implosion. Have rumors of the manifesto's demise been greatly exaggerated?   Links: Gina Carano's Tro...

President Biden is out with an op ed on how to fix our broken Supreme Court. We discuss the plan and the possibilities of implementing it. Could we shunt some of these justices off to the minor leagues and save the country? And Missouri Attorney General Andy Bailey wants to keep a man in jail despite the fact that he is actually innocent. Wouldn't want to look like he's soft on crime!   Links: NY...

Project 2025 is the right's manifesto on how to break the government and turn America into a Christian nationalist state. It's also deeply weird — just like the guys who wrote it. We'll break down 20 of the craziest policy proposals, and then take a deep dive into the plan to replace the civil service with an army of MAGA loyalists. Links: GOP Whines That It's No Fair That Kamala Gets Joe's Money...

Biden is out, Kamala is all but in, and the GOP is freaking out. We'll break down potential Republican legal challenges to a Harris candidacy. Subscribers will get an extended curbstomping of Jonathan Turley's galaxy brain plan to 25th Amendment Biden out of the last six months of his term.   Links: Louisiana notice of compliance https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.lamd.64943/gov....

Rudy Giuliani discovers that getting out of bankruptcy court is harder than falling on your keyster at the RNC. And New Mexico prosecutors discover one weird trick to blow up a criminal case. (It is the Brady rule!) Plus Patreons get an update on the Louisiana ten commandments mandate. Links: NMSA 30-2-3 https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/chapter-30/article-2/section-30-2-3/ NMSA 30-7-4 https...

Judge Cannon blows up the documents case by declaring special counsels illegal. All she had to do was ignore 50 years of precedent, five federal statutes, and two Supreme cases. Glove up for a deep dive, with Liz and Andrew.   Links: Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod  

A Trump trial judge decides to overturn Supreme Court precedent on home distilling. And speaking of sobriety … we'll check in on Rudy Giuliani's attempt to replicate Alex Jones's stunning success in the bankruptcy court. Patreons get an extra field trip to Congress, where Oversight Chair James Comer invites the Biden administration to say where it would like to be kicked.    Links: Wait, The Fifth...

Today we have a deep dive into the absolute havoc SCOTUS's immunity ruling will wreak in Trump's document theft case — even though he was out of the White House when he committed his crimes! But first, the election denying weirdos and their election denying lawyers are Froot Looping all over the docket in the Dominion defamation case. And for subscribers: a discussion of the Alex Jones bankruptcy...